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Lies, damned lies, and testimonials

by Steve Hill
7 replies
Most professional copywriters have already read this, but for those that haven’t, the FTC Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising paper is informative. It has been around for a while, but judging from some current ads in the marketplace, some may have never read it.

The 12-page document discusses the use of testimonials, such as celebrity endorsements, those obtained by giving away a product in exchange for a testimonial, testimonials claiming to have “made x number of dollars in x amount of time by using this product,” and testimonials with material associations.

Some may not be aware in particular of the disclosures required for certain types of testimonials.

The guides not only apply to ad copy, but also to blog communications, e-mails, and other marketing venues.

This really is a must-read for any copywriter or marketer.
#damned #ftc #guidelines #lies #testimonials
  • Profile picture of the author Wytnyt
    Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention, Steve.
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  • Profile picture of the author Roger08
    thnx for this post..it gives me awareness!
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  • Profile picture of the author CharismaticMannequin
    Thanks Steve, I'll give this a read!


    Always good to know where the catches lie, and how to avoid making the mistakes!


    Ben.
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  • Profile picture of the author DavidAllenNeron
    You mean like everyone using fiverr to get fake testimonials made? .. I find that lame.
    If anything give your stuff away to a few people who genuinely could benefit from it and get them to give an honest opinion.. not dupe people and flood the market with crap in a box..
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Hill
      Originally Posted by DavidAllenNeron View Post

      You mean like everyone using fiverr to get fake testimonials made? .. I find that lame. If anything give your stuff away to a few people who genuinely could benefit from it and get them to give an honest opinion..
      That's a good example, because the Guides specifically mention this sort of testimonial too (among others).

      In the Guides, Section 255.5 talks about disclosure of material connections. If there is any benefit granted in exchange for the testimonial (such as a free copy of a program), then it is worthwhile knowing what the document says about that in terms of disclosures.

      Ignorance might be bliss for some, but since the fines are substantial, it's important to know in professional for-hire work in order to protect both the client and the copywriter.
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  • Profile picture of the author Genycis
    Very interesting information, thanks for the post. I always wondered about things like that, which is why to this day, I still haven't bought a testimonial. I wanted to at one point, but better judgment stepped in and I therefore didn't. For my merchant sites, I simply have people let me know how the product is to them once they buy it. I'll then post it on the testimonials page along with the link to their site. I don't have any offers or solicitations to tell them if they give me a positive review, I'll do XYZ or give them ABC as a result. I want positive testimonials but I want them to be honest ones.

    I had always wondered as well if it was legit to provide free copies prior to the launch so as to obtain the testimonials for the launch release. Not knowing if this was legit, I pretty much launched my newer ebook site (not IM related) without any testimonials on it... maybe that's part of why I don't have a sale for the ebook yet. Lol.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Hill
      Originally Posted by Genycis View Post


      I had always wondered as well if it was legit to provide free copies prior to the launch so as to obtain the testimonials for the launch release.
      According to Section 255.5, that appears to be ok, as long as the connection is fully disclosed. That's because the testimonials could be influenced by the copies being free.

      It seems pretty clear from the document that the FTC just wants product endorsements and testimonials to be honest and transparent, and not be deceiving consumers with false, exaggerated, or misleading testimonials.
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